A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics David Crystal

inflection/inflexion 243
individual level In semantic theory, a term used for predicates representing
typically long-lived properties which produce generic readings when combined
with bare plural noun phrases. For example, in the sentence Dogs like meat,
the predicate expresses a permanent property of dogs, whereas in Dogs are
barking outside the predicate expresses a temporary property (a stage-l level
predicate).
ineffability (n.) In optimality theory, a term describing the situation which
arises when the application of a set of constraints to a particular input yields
no acceptable output. The adjectival use is ineffable.
inessive (adj./n.) A term used in grammatical description to refer to a type
of inflection which expresses the meaning of location or position within a
place. The inessive case (‘the inessive’) is found in Finnish, for example, along
with adessive, allative and several other cases expressing ‘local’ temporal and
spatial meanings.
infelicitous utterances
see felicity conditions
infinitival (adj./n.)
see infinitive
infinitive (n.) (inf, INF) A traditional term for the non-finite form of the
verb usually cited as its unmarked or base form, e.g. go, walk, kick, though
some languages mark it syntactically or morphologically. In English,
the infinitive form may be used alone or in conjunction with the particle
to (the to-infinitive), e.g. he saw her go v. he wants to go. The form without to
is sometimes known as the bare or zero infinitive. Inserting an adverb or
other element between the to and the verb results in the split infinitive. In
government-binding theory, the term infinitive (or infinitival) clause is used
for constructions with to-infinitive.
infix (n.) A term used in morphology referring to an affix which is added
within a root or stem. The process of infixation (or infixing) is not encountered
in European languages, but it is commonly found in Asian, American
Indian and African languages (e.g. Arabic).
INFL /c}nfvl/ see inflection (2)
inflected/inflecting language see inflection (3)
inflection/inflexion (n.) (1) A term used in morphology to refer to one of the
two main categories or processes of word-formation (inflectional morphology),
the other being derivation(al). These terms also apply to the two types
of affix involved in word-formation. Inflectional affixes signal grammatical
relationships, such as plural, past tense and possession, and do not change the
grammatical class of the stems to which they are attached; that is, the words
constitute a single paradigm, e.g. walk, walks, walked. A word is said to inflect
for past tense, plural, etc. In traditional (prelinguistic) grammatical studies, the
term ‘accidence’ was used in this sense, as was the term flexion.